Abductions escalate in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 March 2008, 09:48 GMT]Armed men in police uniform arriving in a van bearing registration number 250 7363 Sunday around 7:00 a.m at Sangamiththa Mawata in Colombo abducted a Tamil youth who had come from Jaffna with his mother to go abroad, according to the complaint made by the his mother to Kotahena (Koddaagncheanai) police. Meanwhile, a Tamil student of Moratuwa University, abducted on March 4 from Colpetty in Colombo, is still missing. Abduction of Tamils in Western Province by armed men in white van have escalated in recent days despite the global attention on Sri Lanka's Human Rights violations.

The Tamil student, Tharumakulasingam Mayooran, is a native of Jaffna.

The youth reported missing on Sunday, Yogarajah Arunrajah, 21, was forcibly dragged away by the armed men who knocked on the door of his residence.

Mr. Yogarajah's relatives have complained to Deputy Minister P. Rathakrishnan, Upcountry Peoples' Front parliamentarian who expressed concern and said that he would bring the matter to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's notice.

Though Mr. Rathakrishnan contacted the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID), he could not learn more about the abduction.

The abduction has also been complained to Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) N.K. Ilangakoon.

On 1 March, Veerasingam Benedict, 37, a Tamil family man from Mukaththuvaaram in Colombo was reported missing. Three Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, a home guard and three men in civil clothes at Kathiranawathe in Colombo had taken Mr. Veerasingam away, according to his relatives. He is yet to return home.

In a similar incident no information is available of Jotheeswaran Sivananthakumar, 29, a Tamil youth abducted on 9 March around 11:00 p.m by armed men in a white van with 253654 number plate.

Engineer Akilan, a Tamil, 'abducted' by white van squad is reportedly detained at the 'Fourth Floor', the police interrogation division in Colombo.

Poolagarajah Sasikaran, a Tamil youth from Wellawatte, 'abducted' by armed men who arrived in a white van, is still detained at TID division at Wattale Police station.

Sithiravel Sivanantham, another Tamil youth 'abducted' in Wattale is detained in Colombo.